Twin-hulled outrigger sailboat

ABSTRACT

The invention is a high-speed, planing sailboat having an elongated main body portion supported on two longitudinally spaced bouyant hull members and having two stabilizing outrigger pontoons supported laterally of the body by a pair of transverse beams. The hull members are spaced below the body and are pivoted to permit pitching movement. Independent biasing of the hulls into a predetermined angle of attack is accomplished by spring and shock absorber assemblies connected between the respective hulls and the body, and a pair of form-fitting shells or chairs are mounted laterally of the body to permit single-sailor operation of the boat on opposite tacks without the use of a hiking harness.

United States Patent 1 1 De Long [541 TWlN-HULLED OUTRIGGER SAILBOAT Ellis R. De Long, 8050 El Capitan, La Mesa, Calif. 92041 [221 Filed: May 31, 1974 [21] App1.No.:475,206

[76] lnventor:

[ Dec.2, 1975 3,810,440 5/1974 Johnson, Jr 114/162 Primary ExaminerGeorge E. A. Halvosa Assistant E.\'aminerStuart M. Goldstein Attorney, Agent, or FirmRalph S. Branscomb [57] ABSTRACT The invention is a high-speed, planing sailboat having an elongated main body portion supported on two 1ongitudinally spaced bouyant hull members and having two stabilizing outrigger pontoons supported laterally of the body by a pair of transverse beams. The hull members are spaced below the body and are pivoted to permit pitching movement. Independent biasing of the hulls into a predetermined angle of attack is accomplished by spring and shock absorber assemblies connected between the respective hulls and the body, and a pair of form-fitting shells or chairs are mounted laterally of the body to permit single-sailor operation of the boat on opposite tacks without the use of a hik- 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,238,464 4/1941 Fletcher 114/39 2,991,746 7/1961 Cunningham 114/123 3,016,864 1/1962 Woodfield 114/61 3,057,316 10/1962 Hansen 114/39 3,112,725 12/1963 Malrose 114/665 R 3,146,752 9/1964 Ford 114/66.5 R 3,265,026 8/1966 Hamilton.. 114/61 ing harness 3,726,249 4/1973 Watkins... 115/70 3,785,330 l/1974 Fox 115/70 Sheet 2 of 2 3,922,994

U.S. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 TWIN-HULLED OUTRIGGER SAILBOAT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The sailboat is designed for high speed operation and maximized comfort. A twin central hull configuration reduces the water resistance below that of an ordinary trimaran or outrigger, enabling the boat to be long in overal dimension for increased longitudinal stability without an inordinant increase in either weight or skin resistance. The dual hull arrangement also increases markedly the ability'of the boat to break free of the water into a planing mode. The capability of the hulls to pivot against the restraining action of shock and spring assemblies enables the hulls to individually conform to wave shapes and also permits the water-contacting substantially flat bottom surfaces of the hulls to assume a more horizontal, ski-like attitude in response to increased water pressure on the rear portions resulting from increased speed.

Two outrigger pontoons, combined with the dual hulls, provide the boat with a broad stance in the water, enabling the sail area carried to exceed the limits of conventional craft without the loss of stability.

A pair of chair-like shells mounted on opposite sides of and spaced from the main body are used alternatively by the skipper, depending on the tack, and obviate the need for hiking and the associated harness structure often required on small high performance sailing craft. A pair of trampolines stretched between the outrigger pontoon support beams forward of the respective shells provides the sailor with adequate footmg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the sail boat;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view with the main hull shown in phantom to reveal the steering system; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The sailboat has an elongated central body which is preferably hollow and may be constructed of any suitably rigid material, such as fiberglass or wood. In the illustrated embodiment the body has a plywood deck 12 and bottom 14, both having a transverse curvature and being slightly tapered in planform fore and aft. Crosswise plywood bulkheads 16 support the deck and enclose the ends of the body, and reinforcing side panels 18 complete the enclosure. Any appropriate fastening means can be used to secure the deck, bottom bulkheads and side panels together to form the rigid body, which is made watertight with marine glue and calking material if necessary.

Primary support of the boat in the water is provided by forward and after hulls 20 and 22 which supplant the central hull of a conventional sailboat or trimaran. The advantages of using the double hull are several, the most obvious being the reduced overall weight and skin resistance per unit length of the boat which is conducive to the high-speed planing mode of operation for which the vessel is designed. In addition, stability against pitching is enhanced due to both the shockabsorbing action of the hulls and the absence of a central hull which minimizes breaching on ocean swells.

The hulls are mounted beneath the main body 10 in identical fashion, each being primarily supported at a central position on a pair of vertical stanchions 24 and each of the stanchions having a hinge 26 to permit independent pitching movement of each hull relative to the body. Each stanchion is further supported by a diagonal brace 27 attached to the stanchion above the hinge. The particular means of mounting the stanchion and the pivot joints are arbitrary, and further support, such as a pair of crossbeams, may be added to both stanchion pairs.

Mounted between the after end of each hull and the body 10 are a pair of laterally spaced ordinary shock absorbers and spring assemblies which are somewhat diagramatically illustrated at 28. These assemblies bias the hulls into an angle of attack in the water of between ten and fifteen degrees, and are adjustable should circumstances require a different angle. As the boat plies the water, the hulls adjust to a flatter angle reflecting the increased pressure on the after portions of the water-contacting surfaces, the flatter angle being more appropriate to planing. Independent suspension of the hulls permits their individual conformity to the water surface.

The hulls are completely enclosed and preferably contain bouyant foam. They may be made identical to lower production costs, although this is not necessary to the proper operation of the craft. The bottoms 30 of the hulls are substantially flat in the central and aft portions and have a slight upward flare at their forward areas 32.

Steering is accomplished by a pair of rudders 34 which are of the kick-up variety as indicated by the illustration in phantom of the forward rudder in the up position in FIG. 1. The double rudder design is particularly advantageous due to the light weight of the craft which causes it to lose way rapidly when coming about.

The rudders are restricted to cooperative movement in opposite directions by two cables 36 which run over pulleys 38 on the top of the hulls and under pulleys 40 which are coaxial with the pivotal axil of the respective hulls on the stanchions 24. Each cable is connected at both ends to one of the tillers 42 and is engaged in its central section by a double pulley 44 as shown best in FIG. 4. A vertical steering column 46, to which the double pulley is mounted, is journalled in the main body and, as is clear from FIG. 4, rotation of the shaft will cause the individual rudders 34 to deflect in opposite directions.

To provide the required support for the steering column, reinforcing members 48 may be added where desired, and any suitable bearing arrangement can be used.

Two outrigger pontoons 50 are carried on a pair of aluminum beams 52 and 54 which are securely .mounted to both the main body 10 and the pontoons by U-brackets or the like. The pontoons are somewhat smaller than the central hulls 20 and 22, but the overall shape and construction is similar to that of the hulls with the addition of leeboards 56. The leeboards may be integral with the external sides of the pontoons or provided as separate members, and in conjuction with the hard-chined design of the hulls and pontoons effectively prevent side slippage.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the pontoons are mounted such that the bottoms are above the bottoms of the 3 main hulls when the boat is upright. In use, one pontoon or the other is of course in the water, and to ensure that the bottom of the water-contacting pontoon is as horizontal as possible and the leeboard is vertical, the pontoons are mounted with a slight outward tilt as seen in FIG. 5.

In order to adequately support the pontoons a pair of angulated stays 58 are connected between the body near the beam 52, and the outer ends the aft beam 54. The aft beam is slightly forwardly arcuate to tension the stays. The upward torque on the pontoons is counteracted by a second pair of stays 60 connected between outer portions of the aft beams 54 and a stout vertical post 62 which is firmly mounted to the bottom 14 of the main body of the boat.

The operator of the boat sits in one of two cantilevered chairlike shells 64 which are supported by a pair of braces 66 and 68, the latter being mounted to the bottom of the body and triangulating with the upper brace 64 to firmly support the shells. The shells are positioned above the rear beam 54 and a pair of tarps or trampolines 70 are tautly stretched between the beams to provide secure footing for the skipper.

In order that the skipper may conveniently operate the boat from either of the shells, a pair of steering bars 72 are provided which project from the top of the steering column 46. Rudder control can thus be effected from either operating position, and when coming about the operator can shift from one to the other and maintain rudder control at all times.

The particular riggin used is a matter of choice, although in keeping with the goal of providing an easily operated craft a simple, single-sail cat rig is preferred. The single mast 74 in the illustrations seats in a mast step 76 on the main body and permits stepping the mast forward or aft so that the center of effort may be coordinated with the weight distribution effected by the particular individual using the boat. A decorative spray shield 78 may be attached beneath the bowsprit, and the requisite stays and shrouds are attached to support the mast.

I claim:

1. A twin hulled outrigger sailboat comprising:

a. an elongated body;

b. a forward water-contacting laterally centralized substantially longitudinally extended hull member mounted in substantial vertical alignment with and beneath a forward portion of said body;

c. an after water-contacting substantially longitudinally extended hull member mounted in substantial vertical alignment with and beneath a rear portion of said body and being substantially longitudinally aligned with and located in substantially the same horizontal plane as said forward hull member;

d. a pair of outrigger pontoons mounted independently of said forward and after hull members and mounted to opposite sides of said body in spaced relation thereto.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said hull members is spaced beneath said body and pivotally mounted thereto to permit each of said hull members to pitch relative to said body.

3. Structure according to claim 2 and including means to separately bias each of said hull members to a predetermined pitch angle.

4. Structure according to claim 1 and including a pair of rigid, immobile supports mounted laterally on the body on opposite sides thereof, said supports being laterally spaced from said body and each support comprises a shell substantially form-fitted to the contours of the sedentary human body.

5. Structure according to claim 4 wherein at least one of said hull members is provided with a rudder, and including a steering mechanism operably connected to said at least one rudder, said steering mechanism including a pair of substantially oppositely-directed bars joined to a steering post journalled to said body, each of said bars extending generally toward one of said shells and being accessible to a person seated therein.

6. Structure according to claim 1 wherein the watercontacting surface of said hull members are disposed at a level below the water contacting surfaces of said pontoons, when the 'boat is in non-heeling position, whereby when heeling the windward pontoon is raised free of the water. 

1. A twin hulled outrigger sailboat comprising: a. an elongated body; b. a forward water-contacting laterally centralized substantially longitudinally extended hull member mounted in substantial vertical alignment with and beneath a forward portion of said body; c. an after water-contacting substantially longitudinally extended hull member mounted in substantial vertical alignment with and beneath a rear portion of said body and being substantially longitudinally aligned with and located in substantially the same horizontal plane as said forward hull member; d. a pair of outrigger pontoons mounted independently of said forward and after hull members and mounted to opposite sides of said body in spaced relation thereto.
 2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said hull members is spaced beneath said body and pivotally mounted thereto to permit each of said hull members to pitch relative to said body.
 3. Structure according to claim 2 and including means to separately bias each of said hull members to a predetermined pitch angle.
 4. Structure according to claim 1 and including a pair of rigid, immobile supports mounted laterally on the body on opposite sides thereof, said supports being laterally spaced from said body and each support comprises a shell substantially form-fitted to the contours of the sedentary human body.
 5. Structure according to claim 4 wherein at least one of said hull members is provided with a rudder, and including a steering mechanism operably connected to said at least one rudder, said steering mechanism including a pair of substantially oppositely-directed bars joined to a steering post journalled to said body, each of said bars extending generally toward one of said shells and being accessible to a person seated therein.
 6. Structure according to claim 1 wherein the water-contacting surface of said hull members are disposed at a level beLow the water contacting surfaces of said pontoons, when the boat is in non-heeling position, whereby when heeling the windward pontoon is raised free of the water. 